Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) ceramics have been used for various engineering applications or as a solid electrolyte in oxygen sensors and fuel cells. The performance YSZ strongly depends on the microstructure which is directly determined by characteristic of raw powder. In this paper, synthetic methods powder its starting material are first overviewed, then formation mechanism explained, focusing...

The present in situ study of electrochemically induced processes occurring in Cr/Ni bilayers in contact with a YSZ electrolyte aims at a molecular-level understanding of the fundamental aspects related to the durability of metallic interconnects in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The results demonstrate the potential of scanning photoelectron microspectroscopy and imaging to follow in situ the ...

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) has been used as a thermal/environmental barrier coating for gas turbine engine blades. Current methods of fabrication include air plasma spraying (APS) and electron-beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD). The APS technique results in a coating that loses effectiveness with thermal cycling. The EB-PVD technique deposits a columnar microstructure which accommoda...

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a very powerful technique for materials characterization, providing information relating to morphology, composition, and crystal structure. Selected area diffraction patterns (SADPs) are crystallographic data that can be obtained using a TEM instrument. Conventional identification through SADP/TEM is tricky and tedious, thereby increasing the difficulty...

Using first principles simulations and the Monte Carlo method, the optimal structure of the triple-phase boundaries (TPB) of the Ni/Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) anode in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is determined. Based on the new TPB microstructures we reveal different reaction pathways for H2 and CO oxidation. In contrast to what was believed in previous theoretical studies, we find tha...

The fabrication process of ceramic yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and nickel oxide nanofibers by electrospinning is reported. The preparation of hollow YSZ nanofibers and aligned nanofiber arrays is also demonstrated. The influence of the process parameters of the electrospinning process, the physicochemical properties of the spinning solutions, and the thermal treatment procedure on spinnabi...

Mechanosynthesis of La1-xSrxMnO3 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1) was carried out at room temperature from stoichiometric mixtures of La2O3, Mn2O3 and SrO, obtaining monophasic powders with the perovskite structure. Physical properties of these materials and their chemical compatibility with the electrolyte yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ), which depend strongly on the La/Sr ratio, were evaluated...

The properties of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anode functional layers prepared by impregnation of ceria and catalytic metals into porous yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) have been examined for operation at 973 K. By varying the thickness of the functional layer, the conductivity of the ceria-YSZ composite was determined to be only 0.015–0.02 S/cm. The initial performance of anodes made with ce...

Although liquid lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) is a good candidate for the coolant in the subcritical transmutation blanket, it is also known to be very corrosive to stainless steel, the material of the carrying tubes and the containers. Such a corrosion problem can be prevented by producing and maintaining a protective oxide layer on the exposed surface of stainless steel. Proper formation of the...

An elementary kinetic model is established to represent the coupled behavior of (electro)-chemistry, transport and degradation processes in the porous Ni/YSZ anode of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). The model is applied to support the development and evaluation of solid carbon formation mechanisms at Ni/YSZ anodes. The simulations of cells operated on partially reformed hydrocarbons show that pe...